Secretary-bird - Sagittarius serpentarius
As we drove towards the Central Serengeti plains a head bobbed up from behind a rising – I immediately exclaimed – Vulture!! But as the bird continued to come towards us it became apparent that the bird was taller than any vulture I know of, as the legs came into view they were more like that of a Stork or a Crane. This was my first encounter with the Secretary-bird.
Secretary-bird, Sagittarius serpentarius is endemic to Africa and is a raptor unlike any other. Adapted to a specialist terrestrial lifestyle, the long legs help on walking through the grassland hunting prey like snakes which are reportedly stamped to death by the hard pads of the small scaly feet. Its common name is popularly thought to derive from the crest of long quill-like feathers, lending the bird the appearance of a secretary with quill pens tucked behind his or her ear, as was once common practice. A more recent hypothesis is that “secretary” is borrowed from a French corruption of the Arabic saqr-et-tair or “hunter-bird”.
Over the course of our trip we were lucky to observe several specimen, including a nesting pair and a familial group of eight.
Secretary Bird pair on nest
Secretary Bird in flight
Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretarybird
what an amazing bird
Great catch! nice long legs
amazing
amazing bird
Very beautiful bird..! Happy a Good Thursaday, my friend..!!
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What a tall and beautiful bird ! lovely capture !
Is it a giant one?
Huge bird ! Nice angle ! Excellent shot !
great catch..
amazing !!
Great series , and interesting too
Such an impressive bird, beautiful capture !
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Seen in my contacts’ photos. (?)
brilliant catch
what a beautiful shot and Bird,
One can only dream of taking a shot like this
Thanks for your wonderful comment too, your visits are always appreciated ….
too good for words, wow!!
Exceptional …
fantastic, that is one Big Vulture /Bird,
I thought it was a vulture when I saw the other shots, I have never seen one of these before, magnificent!! Thanks for sharing it with us
Fantastic blog too, great info on this Bird…
Wow!!
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Great shot
They also added this photo to their favourites
What a pair of legs.
Just amazing
Great Shot, Beautiful, & nice Details,
Wonderful shot, great PoV!
Congratulations!
You are invited to display this image and join our group.
"Winged Wonders" Post 1, Award 2
Amazing bird, heck of a set of legs. Great shot !
Great shot, nice interaction!
Fantastic find and photo, Tarique! Well done, my friend!
Wow! A great catch in Tanzania!….the bird looks regal and imposing!!
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Added this photo to their favorites
Beautiful bird and wonderful shot!
A must see in large size to fully appreciate the detail of this amazing capture.
Quite a fearsome looking bird Tarique. Great link and story about the "Vulture on stilts." Such amazing travels and experience. D&J.
Wow! What a bird!
Oh, I just love this bird. It is portrayed on so many postage stamps. It looks like a phoenix right out of Harry Potter or a roc out of Sinbad. Lovely images, thanks Tarique for putting them up.
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